Inside the New York Yankees clubhouse with MLB.com beat writer Bryan Hoch.

Free agent Jeff Keppinger drawing Yankees’ interest

The Yankees have liked Jeff Keppinger for a while, and now with Alex Rodriguez out until approximately June, the versatile infielder may be looking even more appealing.

Keppinger’s name continues to pop up in connection to the Yankees, who could use him to fill in for Rodriguez through the first few months of the season and then slide him into a utility role if and when Rodriguez is ready to reclaim his starting job at third base.

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that the current asking price for Keppinger is two years and $8 million; a pretty good raise over the $1.5 million he earned from the Rays last year.

It’s still likely cheaper than it’d take to chase former Red Sox star Kevin Youkilis (whom the YES Network’s Jack Curry reports the Yankees have touched base with … wonder how Youkilis and Joba Chamberlain on the same roster would work out?).

The Yankees have seemed allergic to multi-year contracts, but Brian Cashman has repeatedly pointed out that he’s never said they can’t do them. A $4 million commitment for 2014 wouldn’t figure to destroy their chances of coming in under $189 million. Keppinger recently broke his right fibula but is expected to be ready for Spring Training.

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Bry you are doing a great job, I just wish the site wasn’t so 1990. You deserve a lot more traffic than you are getting as a result of the site’s usability. Maybe get mlb to do something about that. Thanks for doing such a great job!

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